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Since its founding over 30 years ago, a children’s chorus in Delaware County has expanded from just seven boys to over 110 participants.
Started by John Alston in 1994, the Chester Children’s Chorus is a year-round, nonprofit organization at Swarthmore College that provides choral music education and academic support for children from grades 3 through 12 in Chester, Pennsylvania.
These efforts earned him a nomination for our PA Local Heroes series, sponsored by Ballard Spahr.
Alston can’t tell you exactly why he began the program.
Originally from Newark, New Jersey, Alston participated in the local Boys Chorus for a few years. Around the time he was 11, the group traveled to Rome and sang for the 10th anniversary of Paul VI’s elevation to pope. It was a formidable experience with legendary American composer Leonard Bernstein conducting.
But it wasn’t until around the 7th grade that Alston decided to be a musician. His focus was on performing, not music education.
But in 1994, while working at Swarthmore College, Alston walked into one of the vice president’s offices with a pitch for a boys' chorus. Looking back, Alston thinks a part of him wanted to recreate his experience in the Newark Boys Chorus.
He started with seven boys from one school and only one summer session. “We couldn't sing a thing, and I didn't know what I was doing,” Alston said.
But the camaraderie and connection formed through the music were instantaneous. So the program continued, Alston learned from past experiences, and it expanded.
The program was boys-only for the first few years. That changed when some of the older sisters waiting for their brothers started to join in.
The chorus still sings classical pieces, but its repertoire also now includes contemporary artists like Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston, and Prince.
“John's relationships with the children are just a really unique, responsive way of working with the kids and getting to know them as individuals, and what they're interested in,” said Dana Semos, managing director of the Chester Children’s Chorus.
If a student is interested in a specific area of music or wants to dive deeper, then Alston is there to help them explore those interests, Semos said.
Alston is most proud of the academic programming that has been added. All of the students who sign up for the chorus get opportunities to study in small groups, as well as one-on-one math tutoring with either a Swarthmore College student or a full-time math teacher.
“I'm more proud of this than any of our musical accomplishments,” Alston said. “As much as I get a kick out of telling people we do Mozart Requiem, all of the 119 of our students practice math as much as they practice music.”
Alston wants the kids to know how to improve and advocate for themselves.
“I am absolutely deliberate with the following message: that you can practice and get better, that you have to learn when you're in school to interrupt your teacher and say, ‘Would you say that another way? I didn't get it the first time,’” Alston said.
He would love to see the program expand to include more academic support offerings. But for now, he is staying focused on making sure the chorus is providing the best services possible.
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